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GOVERNOR WRAPS UP VISIT TO NORTH AMERICA
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE
SIR EDWARD YOUDE. LEFT CHICAGO ON TUESDAY NIGHT (WEDNESDAY, HK TIME) AT THE END OF HIS OFFICIAL VISIT TO NORTH AMERICA.
SIR EDWARD, ACCOMPANIED BY LADY YOUDE, WAS FLYING TO LONDON WHERE HE WILL BEGIN HIS ANNUAL LEAVE.
HE IS DUE TO RETURN TO HONG KONG IN A MONTH'S TIME.
YAXLEY EXPLAINS EUROPEAN N-PLANT VISITS
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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR JOHN YAXLEY, AT HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
AS YOU KNOW THE MAIN PURPOSE OF MY VISIT TO EUROPE WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR DEALING WITH INCIDENTS AT NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS, IN PARTICULAR THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY THE PLANT OPERATORS AND BY THE CIVIL AUTHORITIES IN THE AREA IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING THESE STATIONS.
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, I VISITED MOST OF THE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES CONCERNED WITH THE CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAMME INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, THE NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS INSPECTORATE THE NATIONAL RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION BOARD, THE CENTRAL ELECTRICITY GENERATING BOARD AND THE UK ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY,
I ALSO MET TWO LOCAL AUTHORITY EMERGENCY PLANNING OFFICERS IN MANCHESTER AND PRESTON AND HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH POLICE, AMBULANCE AND FIRE SERVICES. ON EACH OCCASION I EXPLORED WITH THEM THEIR ROLE IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR INCIDENT.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE VISIT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM WAS A TWO-DAY EXERCISE OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AT THE HEYSHAM NO. 2 STATION IN LANCASHIRE. I SPENT OVER 12 HOURS AT THIS STATION AS AN OBSERVER AND TOOK PART IN THE SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS OF THE EXERCISE.
IN FRANCE I SPENT 10 HOURS AT THE GRAVELINES NUCLEAR POWER STATION WHICH IS SITUATED BETWEEN DUNKIRK AND CALAIS. THIS STATION HAS SIX REACTORS AND IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
THE FIFTH AND SIXTH UNITS WHICH WERE COMMISSIONED LAST YEAR ARE THE SAME DESIGN AS THOSE FOR DAYA BAY.
/I HAD